CN114342447B

CN114342447B - Managing notifications for communication supervision

Info

Publication number: CN114342447B
Application number: CN201980100072.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: O·珀拉科瓦斯基; 平静; A·安德里亚诺维
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Current assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date: 2019-09-06
Filing date: 2019-09-06
Publication date: 2023-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 2039-09-06
Also published as: EP3790347A1; CN114342447A; WO2021042393A1; EP3790347B1; US20220278916A1

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for managing heartbeat notifications, such as in a service-based management architecture. A method may include receiving, from a first entity, information including one or more attributes related to management of the issuance of a heartbeat notification at a second entity. The method may further include associating, by the second entity, the attribute with the subscription, associating the attribute with a communication channel between the second entity and a third entity associated with the subscription, and initiating the issuing of the heartbeat notification based on information received by the second entity from the first entity.

Description

Managing notifications for communication supervision

Technical Field

Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or New Radio (NR) access technology or other communication systems. For example, certain embodiments may relate to systems, apparatuses, and/or methods for managing heartbeat notifications for communication supervision, such as in a service-based management architecture.

Background

Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-advanced (LTE-a), multeFire, LTE-a Pro and/or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or New Radio (NR) access technology. The 5G wireless system refers to the Next Generation (NG) radio system and network architecture. The 5G is mainly established on the New Radio (NR), but the 5G (or NG) network may also be established on the E-UTRA radio. It is estimated that NR provides bit rates on the order of 10-20Gbit/s or higher and can support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) as well as large-scale machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to deliver ultra-wideband and ultra-robust, low latency connectivity, and large-scale networking to support internet of things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more prevalent, the demand for networks meeting low power, low data rate, and long battery life requirements will become greater. Note that in 5G, the node that may provide radio access functionality to the user equipment (i.e. similar to node B in UTRAN or eNB in LTE) may be named gNB when established on NR radio and may be named NG-eNB when established on E-UTRA radio.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment relates to a method, which may include: information is received from a first entity that includes one or more attributes related to management of the issuance of heartbeat notifications at a second entity. The method may further comprise: associating, by the second entity, the attribute with the subscription; associating, by the second entity, the attribute with a communication channel between the second entity and a third entity associated with the subscription; and initiating the issuance of the heartbeat notification based on the information received by the second entity from the first entity.

Another embodiment relates to an apparatus that may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receiving information from a network entity comprising one or more attributes related to management of the issuance of heartbeat notifications; associating attributes with the subscription; associating an attribute with a communication channel between the device and another network entity associated with the subscription; and starting the sending out of the heartbeat notification based on the information received from the network entity.

Another embodiment relates to an apparatus, which may include: means for receiving information from a network entity comprising one or more attributes related to management of the issuance of heartbeat notifications, means for associating the attributes with a subscription, means for associating the attributes with a communication channel between the device and another network entity related to the subscription, and means for initiating the issuance of heartbeat notifications in accordance with the information received from the network entity.

Another embodiment relates to an apparatus, which may include: circuitry configured to receive information from a network entity including one or more attributes related to management of the issuance of heartbeat notifications, circuitry configured to associate the attributes with a subscription, circuitry configured to associate the attributes with a communication channel between the device and another network entity related to the subscription, and circuitry configured to initiate the issuance of heartbeat notifications based on the information received from the network entity.

Another embodiment relates to a computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least: receiving information from a network entity comprising one or more attributes related to management of the issuance of heartbeat notifications; associating attributes with the subscription; associating the attribute with a communication channel between the device and another network entity associated with the subscription; and starting the sending out of the heartbeat notification based on the information received from the network entity.

Drawings

For a proper understanding of the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional communication supervision interface;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a conventional notification interface;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example "notification subscription" object category, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a Network Resource Model (NRM) class diagram according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5a illustrates an example flow chart of a method according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5b illustrates an example flow chart of a method according to another embodiment;

FIG. 6a illustrates an example block diagram of an apparatus according to one embodiment; and

fig. 6b illustrates an example block diagram of an apparatus according to one embodiment.

Detailed Description

It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for managing heartbeat notifications in a service-based management architecture is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but is representative of some selected example embodiments.

The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification refers to the fact that: a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included within at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

Furthermore, if desired, the different functions or processes discussed below may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other. Furthermore, one or more of the described functions or processes may be optional or may be combined, if desired. As such, the following description should be considered as merely illustrative of the principles and teachings of certain exemplary embodiments, and not in limitation thereof.

When a notification is sent from a sending entity a (e.g., element manager) to a receiving entity B (e.g., network manager) through a particular reference point (e.g., itf-N reference point), it may be desirable to determine whether the communication channel between the sending entity a and the receiving entity B is working properly at a certain frequency. This determination may typically be done using a "virtual" notification sent from the sending entity a to the receiving entity B at a specific frequency. These notifications are called "virtual" because they do not carry any information in the payload. Such "virtual" notifications may be periodically issued notifications, and may also be referred to herein as "heartbeat notifications.

The management of the sending of the heartbeat notification is typically performed by the receiving entity B using dedicated operations invoked on the sending entity a. For example, the dedicated operations may include: "get heartbeat period" (getHeartHeartperiod), "trigger heartbeat" (triggerHeartBeat), "set heartbeat period" (setHeartBeatPeriod), and "notify heartbeat" (notafyHeartBeat), as described in section 6.1 of 3GPP TS 32.352. Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional communication supervision interface using the above-described dedicated operation.

Typically, to subscribe to heartbeat notifications, special operations such as "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" are used. Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a conventional notification interface, as described in section 6.1 of 3gpp TS 32.302. It is noted that this approach is well suited for a reference point based architecture, where notifications are sent from one entity to another (or several other entities) by means of a reference point, and the connection between these entities will be checked by means of heartbeat notifications.

However, for 5G management, a service-based management architecture (SBMA) is used. Furthermore, for 5G, a strict model driven approach is followed, where the client uses only create, read, update, delete (CRUD) operations to manipulate the Network Resource Model (NRM) on the server side, without task specific operations. The clients may also be referred to as management service (MnS) consumers, while the servers may be referred to as MnS producers. Following this approach, a so-called NRM segment for supporting management of notification subscriptions is currently being discussed. The NRM segment may include a "notification subscription" for the new object class, which may be defined as illustrated in the example of fig. 3.

For example, as depicted in fig. 3, the information object class (information object class, IOC) represents that instances of IOC subnetworks, managed elements (managedelements), and managed functions (managedfunctions) (and subcategories thereof) have the ability to send notifications. Table 1 below shows an example of a "notification subscription" (notification subscription) attribute, which may include a notification recipient address (notification Recessentaddress), a notification type (notification type), a notification format (notification format), a notification filter (notification filter), and a time count (timeTrick).

TABLE 1

As will be discussed below, there are several problems if the conventional approach is applied in the context of SBMA and model driven management. Accordingly, the example embodiments provide a new method for heartbeat notification management that addresses at least the shortcomings in conventional approaches.

For 4G (and earlier generations), a dedicated access point is provided on the server side, which receives all requests for notification subscriptions. Business logic behind the access point handles these requests and can easily maintain a list with all subscriber addresses to which notifications are to be sent. For this reason, it is also easy to send heartbeat notifications to all subscribers, assuming they are subscribed to this notification type.

However, in 5G, knowledge about subscriptions is distributed. The naming of the notification subscription object may be contained by almost any managed object in the containment tree. In this way, none of the parties can store all subscriber addresses. As a result, the conventional approach used for central heartbeat notification management prior to 5G is not suitable for the new paradigm for decentralized notification subscription management. Example embodiments provide methods that may be applied in a decentralized environment of 5G or other SBMA.

Some embodiments may be configured to distribute and bring heartbeat notification management to where notification subscription management is completed. Additionally, some embodiments may be configured to link heartbeat notifications to a particular subscription, and thus to a communication channel of a subscriber associated with that subscription. Thus, according to some embodiments, each subscription may have its own associated heartbeat management to control heartbeat notification issuance. In other words, in one embodiment, there is no longer only one heartbeat management function to control the issuance of heartbeat notifications for all subscriptions on one, multiple, or all instances of a particular reference point.

According to one embodiment, one or more heartbeat management attributes may be defined in order to design NRM segments for heartbeat notification management. For example, the attributes may include one or more of the following: a periodic attribute describing the sending of the heartbeat notification; scheduling the issued attribute of the heartbeat notification; storing an attribute of a countdown timer indicating a time to a next heartbeat notification; designating an attribute which triggers the immediate heartbeat notification to issue; an attribute specifying an address to which the heartbeat notification is sent; the attribute of the sending of the heartbeat notification is turned on, off, paused and/or resumed; and/or an attribute for monitoring the status of the heartbeat notification issuing function. In one embodiment, for example, heartbeat management attribute(s) may be expressed as name-value pairs and/or key-value pairs (KVP). At least some of these attributes are control attributes that allow finer and subscription-independent control of heartbeat notification emissions.

In some examples, 3GPP may specify NRM and NRM segments, which may contain standardized heartbeat management attributes. According to some embodiments, the process may include a specification of NRM class diagrams, managed object classes, and their attributes, as discussed in more detail below. In addition, the vendor may define additional attributes (e.g., a "vendor extension" attribute) that may be used for similar purposes.

In some embodiments, the first network entity may be configured to transmit information related to the management of the issuance of the heartbeat notification to the second network entity. The information transmitted to the second network entity may comprise one or more of the heartbeat management attributes defined above. In one embodiment, the information sent by the first entity may include information identifying a subscription associated with the attribute in addition to the attribute.

According to some embodiments, the first network entity may be a client, such as a management service consumer. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second network entity may be a server, such as a management service producer, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

When the second network entity receives information from the first network entity that includes the attribute(s), the second network entity may be configured to associate one or more of the attribute(s) with the subscription. For example, in one embodiment, the attribute(s) may be associated with a subscription object in a class diagram describing the managed network. One embodiment may be configured to group attribute(s) in a heartbeat object linked to a subscription object, for example by including names of the attributes under the subscription object or by having a relationship between the heartbeat object and the subscription object.

In one embodiment, the second network entity may be further configured to associate one or more of the attribute(s) with a communication channel between the second network entity and a third network entity related to the subscription. According to some embodiments, the third network entity may be a subscriber, such as a management service consumer, a network function, a network element or a management function. Since the second network entity associates the attribute(s) with the subscription and/or communication channel, the heartbeat notification(s) are linked to the particular subscription and/or to the communication channel between the second network entity and the subscriber (e.g., third network entity) associated with the subscription.

According to some embodiments, the second network entity may be further configured to initiate the issuing of the heartbeat notification in accordance with information received by the second network entity from the first network entity. In other words, the second network entity may be configured to use the attribute(s) received from the first network entity to determine when and how to initiate the issuance of the heartbeat notification.

In one embodiment, the issuance of heartbeat notification(s) may be scheduled using a countdown timer. For example, according to this embodiment, the second network entity may be configured to start a countdown timer, and when the timer expires, the second network entity may be configured to issue a heartbeat notification. The second network entity may then be configured to reset the timer to a value defining the periodic property of the heartbeat notification issue.

According to some embodiments, the information received from the first network entity may comprise an identification of heartbeat notification information to be deleted. In this case, the second network entity may be configured to delete the identified heartbeat notification information and stop the sending out of the heartbeat notification.

In another embodiment, the information received from the first network entity may comprise an appropriate value for closing the issued attribute of the heartbeat notification. In this case, the second network entity may be configured to stop the sending out of the heartbeat notification based on the received value.

According to some embodiments, the information received from the first network entity may comprise an appropriate value for the attribute of the issue of the scheduled heartbeat notification. In this case, the second network entity may be configured to suspend the sending out of the heartbeat notification based on the received value.

Further, in some embodiments, subscription objects related to heartbeat objects may be reconfigured to stop or pause heartbeat notification emissions.

As discussed above, in some embodiments, the attributes received from the first network entity may include attributes specifying the address to which the heartbeat notification should be sent. According to some embodiments, it may be desirable to send the heartbeat notification to an address that is different from the addresses to which other notifications are sent. In one example, this different address does not necessarily need to identify an entirely different server or entity, but may simply reference some other location in the server/entity. For example, in some embodiments, the heartbeat notification may be sent to a different Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) than, for example, the alert notification. For example, the URI used for notification may be different in the path component and the host component may be the same.

Fig. 4 illustrates an example of an NRM class diagram according to one embodiment. As illustrated in the example of fig. 4, a so-called potential heartbeat notification may be issued by the heartbeat object 400, which notification is processed and forwarded by its associated subscription object 410. In one embodiment, when a heartbeat notification is subscribed to, the potential heartbeat notification may be forwarded to the subscriber as a heartbeat notification. In one embodiment, a heartbeat management attribute may be added to the subscription object 410. According to some embodiments, subscription-related attributes may be added to a managed object 420 whose notification is subscribed to, and the heartbeat object linked to the managed object 420. In another embodiment, a subscription related object 410 and a heartbeat related object 400 may be added to a managed object 420 whose notifications are subscribed to.

In view of the above, a subscriber may subscribe to receive notifications and heartbeat notifications according to an embodiment. For example, a subscriber may create a subscription object that indicates at least the address to which the notification should be sent, and then the subscriber may create a heartbeat object. In another embodiment, the subscriber may unsubscribe from the receipt notification and the heartbeat notification by deleting the heartbeat object and deleting the subscription object. In yet another embodiment, a subscriber may unsubscribe from receiving a heartbeat notification by deleting the heartbeat object or reconfiguring the subscription object in a manner that does not forward potential heartbeat notifications.

Fig. 5a illustrates an example flow chart for managing or controlling the issuance of heartbeat notifications in a network, according to an example embodiment. In certain example embodiments, the flowchart of fig. 5a may be performed by a network entity or network node in a communication system, such as LTE or 5G NR. For example, in some example embodiments, the method of fig. 5a may be performed by a base station, a gNB, and/or a client (such as a management service consumer).

As illustrated in the example of fig. 5a, the method may include setting one or more heartbeat notification attributes at 500. For example, the attributes may include one or more of the following: describing periodic attributes of the sending out of the heartbeat notification, scheduling the sending out of the heartbeat notification, storing attributes of a countdown timer indicating time to the sending out of the next heartbeat notification, specifying attributes of triggering the sending out of the immediate heartbeat notification, specifying attributes of an address to which the heartbeat notification is sent, turning on, off, suspending and/or resuming the sending out of the heartbeat notification, and/or attributes for monitoring the status of the sending out function of the heartbeat notification. It should be noted that example embodiments are not limited to these properties only, as other properties may be defined according to some embodiments.

In one embodiment, the method of fig. 5a may further comprise: at 510, information related to management of the issuance of the heartbeat notification is transmitted to the second network entity. The information transmitted to the second network entity may include one or more of the heartbeat management attributes defined at 500. In some embodiments, the second network entity may be a server, such as a management service producer, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

Fig. 5b illustrates an example flow chart for managing or controlling the issuance of heartbeat notifications in a network, according to an example embodiment. In certain example embodiments, the flowchart of fig. 5b may be performed by a network entity or network node in a communication system, such as LTE or 5G NR. For example, in some example embodiments, the method of fig. 5b may be performed by a server such as a management service producer, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

As illustrated in the example of fig. 5b, the method may include: at 550, information related to management of the issuance of the heartbeat notification is received from the network entity. The information received from the network entity may comprise one or more of the heartbeat management attributes defined above.

In one embodiment, the method may further comprise: at 560, one or more of the attribute(s) are associated with the subscription. For example, in one embodiment, the attribute(s) may be associated with a subscription object in a class diagram describing the managed network. Some embodiments may be configured to group attribute(s) in a heartbeat object linked to a subscription object, for example by including names of the attributes under the subscription object or by having a relationship between the heartbeat object and the subscription object.

According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise: at 570, one or more of the attribute(s) are associated with a communication channel between the client and another network entity associated with the subscription. According to some embodiments, the other network entity may be a subscriber, such as a management service consumer, a network function, a network element, or a management function. Since the attribute(s) are associated with a subscription and/or communication channel, the heartbeat notification(s) are linked to a particular subscription and/or to a communication channel between the client and a subscriber (e.g., other network entity) associated with the subscription.

According to some embodiments, the method may further comprise: at 580, the issuance of the heartbeat notification is initiated based at least on the information received from the network entity at 550. In other words, the method may include utilizing the attribute(s) received from the network entity to determine when and how to initiate the issuance of the heartbeat notification.

In one embodiment, the beginning 580 may include: the issuance of heartbeat notification(s) is scheduled with a reciprocal timer. For example, according to this embodiment, the method may comprise: a countdown timer is started and when the timer expires, a heartbeat notification is issued. The method may then include: the timer is reset to a value defining the periodic nature of the heartbeat notification issue.

According to some embodiments, the information received from the network entity at 550 may include an identification of heartbeat notification information to be deleted. In this case, the method may include deleting the identified heartbeat notification information and stopping the issuance of the heartbeat notification.

In another embodiment, the information received from the network entity at 550 may include an appropriate value for the attribute of the issue for closing the heartbeat notification. In this case, the method may include: the sending out of the heartbeat notification is stopped based on the received value.

According to some embodiments, the information received from the network entity at 550 may include appropriate values for the attributes used to schedule the issuance of the heartbeat notification. In this case, the method may include suspending the issuance of the heartbeat notification based on the received value. Further, in some embodiments, the method may include reconfiguring a subscription object associated with the heartbeat object to stop or pause the heartbeat notification from being sent.

Fig. 6a illustrates an example of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a base station, a node B, an evolved node B (eNB), a 5G node B or access point, a next generation node B (NG-NB or gNB), a CU of gNB, a WLAN access point, a Serving Gateway (SGW), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a data management entity (e.g., UDM), or other entity associated with a radio access network such as 5G or NR. In one example, the apparatus 10 may represent a client or a management service consumer.

As illustrated in the example of fig. 6a, the apparatus 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general purpose or special purpose processor. In fact, for example, processor 12 may comprise one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although a single processor 12 is shown in fig. 6a, multiple processors may be used according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, apparatus 10 may include two or more processors, which may form a multi-processor system that may support multiple processes (e.g., processor 12 may represent multiple processors in this case). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain/phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of apparatus 10, including processes related to management of communication resources.

The apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which memory 14 may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable to the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and/or removable memory. For example, memory 14 may include any combination of Random Access Memory (RAM), read Only Memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic or optical disk, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enable the apparatus 10 to perform tasks as described herein.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read external computer-readable storage media, such as an optical disk, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, an external computer readable storage medium may store computer programs or software for execution by processor 12 and/or apparatus 10.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting signals and/or data to the apparatus 10 and receiving signals and/or data from the apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna(s) 15, for example. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies including one or more of GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio Frequency Identification (RFID), ultra Wideband (UWB), multewire, and the like. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and to receive symbols (e.g., via an uplink). Note that the inclusion of antenna(s) 15 may be optional according to some embodiments.

As such, transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier wave for transmission by antenna(s) 15 and demodulate information received via antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input and/or output devices (I/O devices).

In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to the apparatus 10. The components of apparatus 10 may be implemented in hardware or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in or form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. Further, in some embodiments, transceiver 18 may be included in or form part of transceiver circuitry.

As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a purely hardware circuitry implementation (e.g., analog and/or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and/or digital hardware circuitry with software/firmware, any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processors) that work together to cause an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10) to perform various functions, and/or a hardware circuit(s) and/or processor(s) operating with software or portions thereof, but that software may not be present when the software is not needed for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also encompass a hardware-only circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, as well as an accompanying implementation of software and/or firmware. The term circuitry may also encompass baseband integrated circuits in, for example, a server, a cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

As introduced above, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be a network node or entity, such as a client or management service consumer, or the like. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform the functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to perform one or more of the processes depicted in any of the flowcharts or signaling diagrams described herein (such as the flowchart of fig. 5 a). For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to perform a process for managing or controlling the issuance of heartbeat notifications in a network.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to set one or more heartbeat notification attributes. For example, the attributes may include one or more of the following: a periodic attribute describing the sending of the heartbeat notification; scheduling the issued attribute of the heartbeat notification; storing an attribute of a countdown timer indicating a time to a next heartbeat notification; designating an attribute which triggers the immediate heartbeat notification to issue; an attribute specifying an address to which the heartbeat notification is sent; the attribute of the sending of the heartbeat notification is turned on, off, paused and/or resumed; and/or an attribute for monitoring the status of the heartbeat notification issuing function. It should be noted that example embodiments are not limited to these properties only, as other properties may be defined according to some embodiments.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to transmit information related to the management of the issuance of the heartbeat notification to the second network entity. The information transmitted to the second network entity may comprise one or more of the defined heartbeat management properties. In some embodiments, the second network entity may be a server, such as a management service producer, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

Fig. 6b illustrates an example of an apparatus 20 according to an example embodiment. In an example embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or server associated with a radio access network, such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR, or other radio system that may benefit from an equivalent procedure. For example, apparatus 20 may be a DU or CU of a base station, a node B, an evolved node B (eNB), a 5G node B or access point, a next generation node B (NG-NB or gNB), and/or a gNB associated with a wireless access network (such as 5G or NR). In one example, apparatus 20 may represent a server, such as a management service producer, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

It should be appreciated that in some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may comprise an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and radio node may be separate devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in some example embodiments where apparatus 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a Central Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU) architecture that partitions gNB functionality. In such an architecture, a CU may be a logical node including gNB functions such as transfer of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and/or session management, etc. The CU may control the operation of the DU(s) through a forward-have interface. The DU may be a logical node comprising a subset of gNB functions, depending on the function split option. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the device 10 may include components or features not shown in fig. 6 b.

In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modem, transceiver, etc.), and/or a user interface. In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, wiFi, NB-IoT, multeFire, and/or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include components or features not shown in fig. 6 b.

As illustrated in the example of fig. 6b, apparatus 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general purpose or special purpose processor. In fact, for example, processor 22 may comprise one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although a single processor 22 is shown in fig. 6b, multiple processors may be used according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that in some example embodiments, apparatus 20 may comprise two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiple processing (e.g., processor 22 may represent multiple processors in this case). In certain example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 20 including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain/phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of apparatus 20, including processes related to management of communication resources.

The apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which memory 24 may be coupled to the processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable to the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and/or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of Random Access Memory (RAM), read Only Memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic or optical disk, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enable the apparatus 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

In example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read external computer-readable storage media, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, an external computer readable storage medium may store computer programs or software for execution by processor 22 and/or apparatus 20.

In an example embodiment, the apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from the apparatus 20 via the uplink. The apparatus 20 may also include a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. Transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-a, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, BT-LE, RFID, UWB, and the like. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

For example, in one example embodiment, transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission through antenna(s) 25 and demodulate information received via antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 20. In other example embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input and/or output devices (I/O devices). In some examples, apparatus 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

In the exemplary embodiment, memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to the apparatus 20. The components of apparatus 20 may be implemented in hardware or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, apparatus 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with apparatus 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology, such as NR. For example, in an example embodiment, the link 70 may represent an Xn interface.

According to some example embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in or form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. Further, in some example embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

As discussed above, according to example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be a network entity, server, or client, such as a management service producer, network function, network element, or management function. According to certain examples, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in some example embodiments, apparatus 20 may be configured to perform one or more of the processes depicted in any of the diagrams or signaling flow diagrams described herein, such as those illustrated in fig. 5 b. In an example embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be configured to perform a process for managing or controlling the issuance of heartbeat notifications in a network.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive information from the network entity related to the management of the issuance of the heartbeat notification. In one embodiment, the network entity may be a client or management service consumer, and the information received from the network entity may include one or more of the heartbeat management attributes defined above.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to associate one or more of the attribute(s) with a subscription. For example, in one embodiment, the attribute(s) may be associated with a subscription object in a class diagram describing the managed network. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to group attribute(s) in a heartbeat object linked to a subscription object, for example, by including names of the attributes under the subscription object or by having a relationship between the heartbeat object and the subscription object.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to associate one or more of the attribute(s) with a communication channel between the apparatus 20 and another network entity related to the subscription. According to some embodiments, the other network entity may be a subscriber, such as a management service consumer, a network function, a network element, or a management function. Since the attribute(s) are associated with a subscription and/or communication channel, the heartbeat notification(s) are linked to a particular subscription and/or to a communication channel between the apparatus 20 and a subscriber (e.g., other network entity) associated with the subscription.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to initiate the issuance of the heartbeat notification based at least on information received from the network entity. In other words, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to utilize the attribute(s) received from the network entity to determine when and how to initiate the issuance of the heartbeat notification.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to schedule the issuance of the heartbeat notification(s) using a countdown timer. For example, according to this embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to start a countdown timer and issue a heartbeat notification when the timer expires. The apparatus 20 may then be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to reset the timer to a value defining the periodic nature of the heartbeat notification issue.

According to some embodiments, when the information received from the network entity includes an identification of the heartbeat notification information to be deleted, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to delete the identified heartbeat notification information and stop the issuance of the heartbeat notification.

In another embodiment, when the information received from the network entity includes an appropriate value for the attribute that closes the issuance of the heartbeat notification, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to stop the issuance of the heartbeat notification based on the received value.

According to some embodiments, when the information received from the network entity includes an appropriate value for the attribute of the issuance of the scheduled heartbeat notification, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to suspend the issuance of the heartbeat notification based on the received value. Further, in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to reconfigure a subscription object associated with a heartbeat object to stop or pause heartbeat notification issuance.

Accordingly, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements and/or advantages over prior art processes, and constitute an improvement over at least the technical field of wireless network control and management. For example, one advantage of the example embodiments over conventional approaches is: example embodiments allow finer and subscription-independent control of heartbeat notification emissions. As a result, example embodiments may be applied in a decentralized or distributed subscription management environment, such as in SBMA. Thus, the use of certain example embodiments results in improved functionality of the communication network and its nodes (such as base stations, enbs, gnbs, and/or UEs or mobile stations).

In some example embodiments, the functionality of any of the methods, processes, signaling diagrams, algorithms, or flowcharts described herein may be implemented by software and/or computer program code or code portions stored in a memory or other computer readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

In some example embodiments, an apparatus may be included or associated with at least one software application, module, unit, or entity configured as arithmetic operation(s), or as a program or portion thereof (including added or updated software routines), executed by at least one operating processor. Programs, also referred to as program products or computer programs, include software routines, applets, and macros, can be stored in any apparatus-readable data storage medium and can include program instructions that perform particular tasks.

The computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. One or more of the computer-executable components may be at least one software code or code portion. The modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of the example embodiments may be performed as routine(s) which may be implemented as added or updated software routine(s). In one example, the software routine(s) may be downloaded into the device.

By way of example, software or computer program code or code portions may be in source code form, object code form, or in some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium that may be any entity or device capable of carrying a program. Such carriers may include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, electro-optical and/or electronic carrier signals, telecommunications signals, and/or software distribution packages. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer, or it may be distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

In other example embodiments, the functionality may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 or apparatus 20), such as through the use of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Programmable Gate Array (PGA), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functionality may be implemented as a signal, such as an intangible means, which may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the internet or other network.

According to example embodiments, an apparatus, such as a node, device or corresponding component, may be configured as circuitry, a computer or microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for arithmetic operation(s) and/or an operation processor for performing arithmetic operation(s).

Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be practiced with processes in a different order and/or with hardware elements in a different configuration than that disclosed. Thus, while some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising:

receiving, at a second entity, information identifying a subscription and information including one or more attributes associated with the identified subscription from a first entity, wherein the attributes relate to management of the issuance of heartbeat notifications at the second entity for the identified subscription;

associating, by the second entity, the attribute with the identified subscription based on the received information;

associating, by the second entity, the attribute with a communication channel between the second entity and a third entity associated with the identified subscription; and

the issuing of the heartbeat notification from the second entity to the third entity is initiated in accordance with the information received by the second entity from the first entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received from the first entity comprises at least one of:

defining a periodic attribute sent by the heartbeat notification;

scheduling the issued attribute of the heartbeat notification;

an attribute specifying an address to which the heartbeat notification is to be sent; or alternatively

And starting the sent attribute of the heartbeat notification.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

starting a reciprocal timer;

sending out a heartbeat notification when the timer expires; and

resetting the timer to a value defining the periodic said attribute of the heartbeat notification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first entity comprises a management service consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second entity comprises one of a management service producer, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the third entity comprises a subscriber, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

7. The method of any of claims 1-6, wherein the information received from the first entity includes an identification of heartbeat notification information to be deleted, and wherein the method further comprises:

deleting, by the second entity, the identified heartbeat notification information; and

stopping said issuing of heartbeat notifications by said second entity.

8. The method of any of claims 1-6, wherein the information received from the first entity includes an appropriate value of the attribute for closing the issuing of a heartbeat notification, and wherein the method further comprises:

Stopping said issuing of heartbeat notifications by said second entity.

9. The method of any of claims 1-6, wherein the information received from the first entity includes an appropriate value of the attribute for scheduling the issuance of a heartbeat notification, and wherein the method further comprises:

suspending, by the second entity, the issuing of heartbeat notifications.

10. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to: together with the at least one processor, causing the apparatus at least to:

receiving, from a first entity, information identifying a subscription and information comprising one or more attributes associated with the identified subscription, wherein the attributes relate to management of the issuance of heartbeat notifications at the apparatus for the identified subscription;

associating the attribute with the identified subscription based on the received information;

associating the attribute with a communication channel between the apparatus and a second entity associated with the identified subscription; and

The issuing of the heartbeat notification from the device to the second entity is initiated in accordance with the information received from the first entity.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the information received from the first entity comprises at least one of:

defining a periodic attribute sent by the heartbeat notification;

scheduling the issued attribute of the heartbeat notification;

And starting the sent attribute of the heartbeat notification.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

starting a reciprocal timer;

sending out a heartbeat notification when the timer expires; and

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first entity comprises a management service consumer.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises one of a management service producer, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second entity comprises a subscriber, a network function, a network element, or a management function.

16. The apparatus according to any of claims 10-15, wherein when the information received from the first entity comprises an identification of heartbeat notification information to be deleted, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to: together with the at least one processor, causing the apparatus at least to:

deleting the identified heartbeat notification information; and

stopping said issuing of heartbeat notifications.

17. The apparatus of any of claims 10-15, wherein when the information received from the first entity includes an appropriate value for the attribute to close the issuance of a heartbeat notification, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to: together with the at least one processor, causing the apparatus at least to:

stopping said issuing of heartbeat notifications.

18. The apparatus of any of claims 10-15, wherein when the information received from the first entity includes an appropriate value for the attribute for scheduling issuance of a heartbeat notification, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to: together with the at least one processor, causing the apparatus at least to:

Suspending said issuing of heartbeat notification.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for performing at least the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

20. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

circuitry configured to perform at least the method of any one of claims 1-9.

21. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable medium for performing at least the method according to any one of claims 1-9.